Method for playing Keno

ABSTRACT

An improved method of playing a game of Keno in which a first quantity of Keno numbers is selected from a fixed set of Keno numbers uses a Keno board. The Keno board is divided into at least two sections having at least a second quantity of Keno numbers in each section. A player wagers by selecting one of the sections and, optionally, designating a third quantity. A set of numbers is randomly selected from the Keno numbers and a reward is issued to a player if the section wagered upon contains at least a third quantity of the selected Keno numbers. Optionally, the size of the reward varies directly with the ratio of the third quantity to the second quantity.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The present invention relates to casino numbers games. Specifically, the present game is an improved method of Keno in which the Keno board is divided into sections and players wager by designating a section and, optionally, the quantity of Keno numbers to appear in the designated section.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] Numbers games are well known in the art. Essentially a numbers game consists of a player selecting one or more numbers from a closed set and placing a wager. The house randomly selects a plurality of numbers and, if the player's selection matches the house's selection, the player is rewarded.

[0003] The most well known numbers game is Racehorse Keno, referred to in casinos as merely Keno. Keno uses eighty numbers, typically the numbers one through eighty. In Keno, players may wager any amount on a Keno ticket. Players make selections by marking selected numbers on the Keno ticket. At predetermined intervals, the house selects twenty numbers. If the numbers selected by the house match a predetermined percentage of numbers selected by a player, the player is rewarded. The payoff is determined by the percentage of numbers.

[0004] Wagers in Keno can be generally divided into two groups, spot and way. Spot wagers consist of the player merely selecting individual numbers, or spots, on a Keno ticket. If a player catches a predetermined number of spots, the player is rewarded. For example, on a ten-spot Keno ticket, the player selects and marks ten numbers. A reward is issued if the player catches five or more spots. Typically, the reward increases with the number of spots the player catches. For example, if the player catches five spots, the player may receive his wager back; if the player receives ten spots, the player may be paid at ten thousand to one.

[0005] Similarly, way wagers consist of a player selecting groups of adjacent numbers, or ways, on a Keno ticket. If a player catches a predetermined number of spots, the player is rewarded. Unlike spot wagers, however, the reward in a way wager depends on how the spots the player catches are distributed. For example, on a hi-low way Keno ticket, the player selects and marks three groups of four adjacent numbers. If a player catches five or more spots, the player is rewarded. However, the size of the reward depends on the distribution of the spots. For example, if the spots are distributed with two in one way, two in another way, and one in yet another way (2-2-1), the player's wager is returned. Alternatively, if the spots are distributed 3-1-1, the player may be paid at 1.2:1; if the spots are distributed 4-1, the player may be rewarded at 1.4:1.

[0006] The drawback of Keno is that there are no wagers available on the position of the spots rather than the numbers selected. Similarly, there are no wagers available in which a player may designate a section of the Keno board that includes more numbers than the number of Keno numbers selected by the house. Finally, there are no wagers available in which a player can vary his potential reward, and more specifically increase his reward, by selecting the number of spots he believes he will catch.

[0007] Thus, there is a need in the art for an improved method of playing Keno in which wagers on large sections of the Keno board are paid according to the position of the spots rather than the specific numbers and includes an option for the player to specify the number of spots to be caught so he may receive an increased payout.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0008] An improved method of playing a game of Keno. As can be appreciated by those skilled in the art, conventional Keno is played with a Keno board having an array of Keno numbers thereon. In conventional Keno, a first quantity of numbers is selected from the fixed set of Keno numbers. In conventional Keno, the first quantity is twenty and the fixed set of Keno numbers contains the numerals one through eighty.

[0009] The improved method of the present invention is played using a Keno board divided into at least two sections. Each section contains at least a second quantity of Keno numbers greater than or equal to the first quantity. Optionally, the sections are mutually exclusive. In a further embodiment, the Keno board is divided into two halves Each player makes a wager by selecting one of the sections and, in an optional embodiment, selecting a third quantity less than or equal to the second quantity. The third quantity signifies a threshold quantity of Keno numbers that the section must contain for the player to be eligible for a reward.

[0010] A set containing a first quantity of random numbers is selected from the Keno numbers. Optionally the selected Keno numbers are displayed on the Keno board. A reward is issued to a player if the section wagered upon contains a predetermined quantity of selected Keno numbers. The predetermined quantity is less than all the numbers in the section, i.e. the predetermined quantity is less than the second quantity.

[0011] In an embodiment in which the player designates the third quantity, a reward is issued if the section wagered upon contains at least a third quantity of selected Keno numbers. In such an embodiment, the reward may vary directly with the ratio of the third quantity to the second quantity.

[0012] It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved method for playing Keno in which the player may designate a section of a Keno board greater than the set of selected Keno numbers and receive a reward for having a quantity of Keno numbers in the designated section based on the position of the selected Keno numbers rather than the specific Keno number selected.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0013]FIG. 1 is a front view of a Keno board according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0014]FIG. 2 is a front view of a Keno ticket according to an embodiment of the present invention.

DESCRIPTION

[0015] Reference is now made to the figures wherein like parts are referred to by like numerals throughout. Referring to FIG. 1, the improved Keno method of the present invention is played using a Keno board 10 having an array of Keno numbers arranged thereon. As shown in FIG. 1, the Keno numbers are optionally arranged in a substantially rectangular shape with each Keno number contained in a square or rectangular cell 12. Optionally, the Keno board 10 may include means for illuminating individual numbers or cells 12 to indicate that the house has selected a number as described below. In conventional Keno, eighty numbers are provided. As may be appreciated by those skilled in the art, a first quantity of numbers is selected from the Keno numbers by the house. In conventional Keno, the first quantity is twenty.

[0016] According to the present invention, the Keno board 10 is divided into sections 14, 16, each section 14, 16 containing at least a second quantity of Keno numbers, where the second quantity is greater than or equal to the first quantity. That is, the minimum size of each section 14, 16 is greater than or equal to the quantity of Keno numbers selected. For example, in the embodiment of FIG. 1, the Keno board 10 is divided into two sections 14, 16, a Low section 14 and a High section 16, of forty numbers each. While the embodiment of FIG. 1 includes two sections 14, 16, it is contemplated that the Keno board 10 of the present invention could contain any number of sections. Likewise, it follows that each section could contain any quantity of Keno numbers, i.e. the second quantity could be any quantity. In fact, it is contemplated that each section may contain different quantities of Keno numbers so long as each section has at least a second quantity of Keno numbers.

[0017] According to the present invention, a player makes a wager by marking his selection on a Keno ticket 20 such as that shown in FIG. 2 and turning the marked Keno ticket 20 and wager over to a runner. To make a wager, a player selects a section 14, 16 of the Keno board 10 that he wishes to wager upon. In an optional embodiment, the player also designates a third quantity that represents the threshold quantity of Keno numbers the player must catch in the designated section 14, 16 to be eligible for a reward. The third quantity is less than or equal to the second quantity and less than or equal to the first quantity.

[0018] For example, in FIG. 2, a player who wishes to wager that the Low section 14 will catch fourteen or more Keno numbers would mark the box next to the desired wager indicated at 26. Also available is a wager in which the player may wager on an even split among sections 14, 16 such as that indicated at 28. The Keno ticket 20 may optionally include a box 22 to indicate the number of games for which the wager will be effective and a box 24 to indicate the wager per game if the Keno ticket 20 is to be used for multiple games.

[0019] To summarize, the minimum size of each section 14, 16 is greater than or equal to the quantity of Keno numbers selected by the house which is, in turn, greater than or equal to the quantity selected by the player. In other words,

SecondQuantity≧FirstQuantity≧ThirdQuantity

[0020] In the example shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the second quantity is forty, the first quantity is twenty, and the player may select a third quantity between ten and twenty.

[0021] At predetermined time intervals, wagering is closed and the house selects a first quantity of numbers. As discussed above, in conventional Keno, the first quantity is usually fixed at twenty. Thus, in a conventional Keno game utilizing the improved method of the present invention, the second quantity, i.e. the minimum size of a section 14, 16, must exceed twenty Keno numbers. In the example of FIG. 1, the second quantity is forty, that is, each section 14, 16 has at least forty Keno numbers. Nevertheless, it is contemplated that the quantity of numbers selected may be altered by house rules so long as the relationship between the quantity of numbers selected and the minimum size of a section 14, 16 is maintained by insuring that the quantity of numbers selected is less than the minimum size of a section 14, 16.

[0022] The set of numbers selected by the house are optionally displayed on the Keno board 10. A reward is issued to a player if the section 14, 16 wagered upon by the player contains at least the third quantity of Keno numbers designated by the player. For example, if a player wagers on the Low section 14 and designates a third quantity of fourteen, the player is rewarded if fourteen or more of the selected numbers are located in the in the Low section 14. The player loses if the Low section 14 contains fewer than fourteen spots. That is, the reward is contingent on whether the numbers selected are within the designated section 14. The reward is issued without regard to which of the Keno numbers are selected-only their position on the Keno board 10 is considered.

[0023] In an optional embodiment, the size of the reward may vary depending on the ratio of the third quantity to the second quantity. That is, in the optional embodiment shown in FIG. 2, if the player designates a greater quantity the potential reward is greater.

[0024] While certain embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described it is to be understood that the present invention is subject to many modifications and changes without departing from the spirit and scope of the claims presented herein. 

I claim:
 1. An improved method of playing a game of Keno in which a predetermined first quantity of Keno numbers is selected from a fixed set of Keno numbers, the improvement comprising: a) providing a Keno board having a plurality of Keno numbers thereon divided into at least two sections, each section containing at least a second quantity of Keno numbers greater than or equal to said first quantity; b) a player making a wager by selecting one of said sections; c) randomly selecting a set of numbers from said Keno numbers; and d) issuing a reward to a player if the section wagered upon contains at least a predetermined quantity of selected Keno numbers, said predetermined quantity less than said second quantity.
 2. The method of claim 1 wherein each of said sections comprise half of the Keno numbers.
 3. The method of claim 1 wherein said sections are mutually exclusive.
 4. An improved method of playing a game of Keno in which a predetermined first quantity of numbers is selected from a fix set of Keno numbers, the improvement comprising: a) providing a Keno board having an array of Keno numbers thereon divided into at least two sections, each section containing at least a second quantity of Keno numbers greater than or equal to said first quantity; b) a player making a wager by selecting one of said sections and designating a third quantity, said third quantity less than or equal to said second quantity; c) randomly selecting a set of numbers from said Keno numbers; and d) issuing a reward to a player if the section wagered upon contains at least a third quantity of selected Keno numbers, the size of the reward varying directly with the ratio of the third quantity to the second quantity.
 5. The method of claim 4 wherein each of said sections comprise half of the Keno numbers.
 6. An improved method of playing a game of Keno in which twenty Keno numbers are selected from a fixed set of eighty Keno numbers, the improvement comprising: a) providing a Keno board having the set of Keno numbers arranged into an array divided into two mutually exclusive halves, each section containing forty Keno numbers; b) a player making a wager by selecting one of said sections and designating a third quantity less than or equal to twenty; c) randomly selecting twenty numbers from said Keno numbers; and d) displaying said selected numbers on said Keno board; and e) issuing a reward to a player if the section wagered upon contains at least the third quantity of selected Keno numbers, the size of the reward varying directly with the ratio of the selected quantity to twenty. 